Chicago GOP Wants Emanuel to Cancel DNC Speech

Receive the latest ward-room updates in your inbox

The Chicago Republican Party wants Mayor Rahm Emanuel to skip his trip to Charlotte this week and deal with issues back home.

Emanuel Defends Vice President Joe Biden

The Mayor said he won't weigh in on every presidential event, but this time, he gave a defense of the VP. (Published Thursday, Aug. 16, 2012)

Following another violent weekend and with a teachers strike tentatively scheduled for Sept. 10, Chicago's GOP called on Emanuel to "provide immediate, visible and specific leadership to address the twin crises facing our city."

The mayor was added to the Democratic National Convention list of speakers last month and is expected to address delegates Tuesday.

Rahm Emanuel on Ryan as Veep Choice

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, himself a former congressman, says that while his former colleague Rep. Paul Ryan colleague has ideas, they're the wrong ones for the country. (Published Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2012)

The GOP said Sunday in a statement that keeping the speech on his schedule means Emanuel is "more focused on criticizing Mitt Romney than focusing on his constituents."

"While violence rages in the streets of several Chicago neighborhoods and teachers threaten a walkout, our Mayor is paying attention to the wrong things," the statement reads.

Emanuel appeared Sunday on "Meet the Press" and insisted the city is not in a crisis.

"We're making efforts I think to reduce the gang conflict, because it's gang-on-gang issues," Emanuel said of a spike in Chicago shootings. "It doesn't affect the whole city, but anywhere it happens we're going to be dealing with it."

Meanwhile the Chicago Teachers Union came together Monday morning for a "solidarity rally" downtown. Chicago Public Schools and the union both said Friday they planned to negotiate through the holiday week.